By Samuel Olusegun Precious
France is bracing for major protests on Tuesday, after student organisers called for a nationwide day of action to demand more investment in education. It comes after a week of demonstrations that saw students blockade hundreds of schools, with at least 190 students injured and more than 5,060 people arrested, according to the Justice Ministry.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 24 schools had been “burned and ransacked” since the start of the protests, while 735 institutions experienced disruptions on Friday alone.Violent clashes between students and police have led to serious injuries.
On Monday, a 15-year-old boy’s hand was blown off during a confrontation near a school in the northern city of Lens. Officials said he was transferred to hospital and his injury is not life-threatening. Last week, 14-year-old Eden was badly hurt in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône after reportedly being struck on the head by a tear gas grenade.
His lawyer said he suffered “a double jaw fracture” and had to undergo “extremely major surgery.” His mother said: “This should not happen. They are dealing with children who are asking for better conditions in which to study.”
According to official figures, at least 715 police officers and 215 teenagers have also been injured. More than 1,802 people are facing prosecution, including 1,483 minors, while 14 people have been placed in pre-trial detention.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced measures to “address the difficulties faced by secondary school students and education staff,” promising “visible changes” in schools. But he added: “We will make no concessions to violence.”
The Union Syndicale Lycéenne (USL), a major organiser of the protests, said the government offered “nothing concrete” and called for mobilisation on Tuesday in the face of “unprecedented repression.”
The teachers’ union SNES-FSU has urged its members to join the protest, while radical-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon described it as the “most powerful high school and university student youth movement” since 1968.
The wave of demonstrations began in September in Paris over overcrowded classrooms, run-down buildings and a lack of teachers, and has since spread nationwide.Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the demonstrations had been policed in “an extremely proportionate manner,” while Amnesty International has accused security forces of using disproportionate force.
